Apparatus for mixing materials.



a. W. THOMAS. APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS.

'APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 12, 1908.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

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O. W. THOMAS.

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12, 190B.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu., WASHINGTON, D. c.

ICE.

CHARLES W. THOMAS, OF LINDENWOLD, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7,1913.

I Application filed March 12, 1908. Serial No. 420,596.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lindenwold, Camden county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Mixing Materials, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for mixing or drying granular materials in general, but it is especially adapted for use in mixing concrete.

The main object of my invention is to provide a machine which will rapidly and thoroughly mix the materials to the proper degree and which will be simple in construction and so open and low that the material can be fed into the machine from the ground level.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for readily discharging the material from the apparatus after it is mixed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:Figure 1, is a side View of my improved mixing apparatus; Fig. 2, is a plan view; Fig. 3, is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4:, is a section on the line 4- Fig. 2; Fig. 5, is a section on the line 5-5 Fig. 2; Fig. 6, is a side view showing a different form of frame; and Fig. 7, is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6.

A is the frame of th machine mounted upon a base A having a step bearing a, for a vertical shaft B, which is also mounted in a bearing a in the frame A.

B is a head securely attached to the upper end of the shaft B and mounted on this head is a table D; this table is attached to the head in the present instance by screws 6 which enter openings in the table.

' C is a driving shaft having fast and loose pulleys c, c and mounted in suitable bearings on the frame of the apparatus. On the inner end of this shaft is a bevel pinion c which meshes with a bevel gear wheel on the said shaft B. As the shaft is rotated it carries with it the circular table D which is preferably made of cast iron or steel and suitably surfaced. Mounted directly above the table are" plows E, E, E E There are four plows in the present instance but it will be understood that any number of plows maybe used, depending considerably upon the size of the apparatus. These plows have curved inner faces a, as shown in Fig. 3, and are arranged eccentrically to the center of the table, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The plows E, E and E are fixed, being secured to the frame A in any suitable manner; in the present instance blocks 6 are used to attach them rigidly to the angle band a which extends around the upper portion of the apparatus and helps to stiffen the frame. The plow E is pivoted at e to one of the vertical members a of the frame and attached to this plow is a socket f adapted to receive a handle F. Braces extend from each side of the socket so as to rigidly attach it to the plow. The plow is held in position by the operator grasping the handle F and when it is wished to discharge the contents th plow is moved out in the direction of the arrow beyond the line of the table, causing the material to be discharged from that side of the apparatus.

It will be noticed in referring to the plan view, Fig. 2, that the apparatus is open above the center of the table, and is very low as shown in Fig. 1, consequently the material can be shoveled directly from the ground onto the table. If, for instance, cement, stone and sand are to be mixed to form concrete the ingredients are shoveled onto the table in suitabl proportions and enough water is introduced to give the proper degree of moisture, and as the table is rotating the material will be thrown out by centrifugal force against the plows and, owing to the force, will travel up the concaved surface of the plows and fall onto the table, the plows being set eccentrically to the center of rotation will plow into the material and cause it to turn over on different lines and the difierent particles of material will become thoroughly incorporated and properly mixed in a very short 1 run parallel with the edges of the plow so as to collect any liquid separated from the mass of material being mixed and return it to the table nearer the center than the Point at Which it en ered the gr es? These grooves are not necessary on some classes of material.

In order to prevent the apparatus throwine ma ia hich would p s u der he lows I secure to the frame an annular shield G which extends around three-fourths of the apparatus in a line with the table, so that any particles escaping from the table will strike the shield and fall. As it is impossible to extend the guard the full distance around the machine I mount a separate guard G on the movable plow E and the flange g of this guard extends over the table, as illustrated in Fig. 5, deflecting any material thrown from the table. =The plows are preferably made in two parts, the mold board section 6 and the point section a these two parts are secured together by any suitable means, such as bolts h, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, but in some instances the plows may be made in a single piece if desired. Each of the plow sections E, E may also be made adjustable toward and from the center so as to give them more or less eccentricity, and one way of accomplishing this is by simply pivoting them in the manner illustrated" in connection with the plow E, Fig. 2.

In Fig. 6, I have shown an apparatus in 'which the frame A has cross members A extending across the apparatus above the table and in this instance one end of each plow E, E E is adjustably secured to these cross frames by an adjustable bracket i, the other end of each plow being secured to one of the standards by a bracket 2'.

In place of the plain handle for moving the plow Ein and out, I may use a knuckle joint, as illustrated at I, actuated by a vertical shaft I which is mounted in fixed bear-v By turning ings in any suitable manner. this shaft by hand or power the plow E can be moved in and out as desired.

Thus it will be seen that my improved apparatus can be made very substantial, has very few parts and these parts can be made very substantial so that the possibility of breakage is very slight, the machine can be fed from the ground by shoveling without using platforms or elevators, can be readily discharged and will thoroughly and rapidly mix or dry granular material.'

The apparatus while shown as driven from a horizontal shaft having belt wheels, may be driven by motors or by any other contrivance and if it is desired to heat the table so as to mix the material hot, suitable burners on may be mounted under the table and the flame can play upon the underside of the table, heating the table to the proper degree. Other means of heating the table may be resorted to without departing from the essentia f at s o he in en i It burners are used the lower part of the frameo k is Prefe ably uel sed- The table may be made solid or made recessed te receive an annular wear plate d secured by screws or other fastenings, so that this wear plate takes the grinding action of the plows and can beremoved or adjusted when desired.

In some instances, as shown in Fig. 7, I may provide a blade 8 extending from the center of the table radially, and I preferably curve the blade slightly Or it may be in the form of a plow, so as to direct the material on the table from the center toward the periphery. This blade can be adjustably' secured to the cross frame A bybolts s, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

It will be understood that my invention may be used for drying granular material instead of mixing, for instance in drying sand, the sand would be placed upon the table and the centrifugal force would throw the sand out against the plows and the plows would lift and turn the sand over so that the particles of sand would be exposed to the air. In this instance I would prefer to heat the table although a continuous agitation of the sand would dry it time. Vi hen the device is used for drying sand I may modify the shape of the plows, the essential feature being to lift the material and separate the grains so that they will be exposed to the air, and it will be understood that the drying would be more quickly effected when the heat is applied to the table.

I claim l. The combination in a mixing apparatus of a table; a series of elongated concave plows mounted around the table with their ends immediately adjacent each other so as to inclose a space above the same; said plows being arranged eccentrically as regards the table; with means for driving the table relatively to the plows.

2. The combination of a table; a plurality of elongated longitudinally concave plows arranged in a continuous series around the table with each end of each plow immediately adjacent a radial line of said table passing through the end of an adjacent plow; and means for turning the table relatively to the plows.

3. The combination of a table; a series of concave plows arranged with said table to form a container; and means for turning the table relatively to the plows; one of said plows being movable to provide a discharge opening for the container.

4. The combination of a table; a series of concave plows inclosing a space above said table; means for turning the table relatively o the plows 5v with m ans, for moving one f the plows parallel to the plane of the table to provide a discharge opening for the space inclosed by the plows.

5. The combination of a rotatable table; a series of stationary plows forming a wall around the space above the table; said plows having their inner faces curved; means for driving the table; and means for shifting one of the plows to allow the escape of material from the table by centrifugal action.

6. The combination of a rotatable table; a series of fixed plows extending over the table; with means for moving one of the plows parallel to the plane of the table to permit material to be discharged; and means for turning the table.

7. The combination of a table; a plurality of elongated, longitudinally concave plows circularly curved and arranged eccentrically of said table in a continuous series forming an inclosure thereon; and means for rotating the table relatively to the plows.

8. The combination of a table; a series of elongated longitudinally concave plows arranged eccentrically of said table; and means for rotating the table relatively to the plows, one of the plows having a pivot adjacent. one end; with means for adjusting said plow on its pivot.

9. The combination of a table; a relatively rotatable series of elongated longitudinally concaved plows curved eccentrically as regards the center of rotation of the table and extending over the same, each of said plows consisting of a mold board section, an elongated concave edge section abutted against and having a curved surface continuous with that of the mold board section; with means for detachably connecting said sections.

10. The combination of a rotating table, a

series of fixed plows extending over the table and arranged eccentrically, said plows having longitudinal grooves on the underside so as to trap any fluid which passes the edge of the plow.

11. A plow for a mixing or drying ma chine consisting of an elongated circularly curved concave structure formed of an elongated overhung mold-board section and an elongated concave edge section abutted against and having a curved surface continuous with that of the mold-board section; with means for detachably connecting said sections.

12. The combination of a rotating table, a series of fixed plows extending over the table and arranged eccentrically, and a pivoted plow, with means by which the pivoted plow can be held in position or adjusted so as to discharge the material from the table.

13. The combination of a frame, a vertical shaft mounted in said frame, a horizontal driving shaft geared to the vertical shaft, a head on the upper end of the vertical shaft, a table mounted on the head, a series of segmental plows having curved mold boards and arranged eccentrically in respect to the table, one of said plows being adjustable laterally so as to allow for the discharge of material, a band partially encircling the frame, blocks rigidly attaching the plows to the band, a splash guard fixed to the frame, and a splash guard fixed to the movable plow.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. THOMAS.

Witnesses WM. E. SHUPE, WM. A. BARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

